It seemed utterly puzzling that this, of all games, was supposed to be a playoff preview.

Because in the midst of all the pomp and circumstance of a prime-time, nationally televised matchup, what happened Wednesday night at the Garden was anticlimactic.

The Rangers bled the Flyers out for a 3-1 win, allowing the Blueshirts to stroll off to Western Canada for a four-game trip while riding a five-game winning streak and holding a three-point cushion over Philadelphia for second place in the Metropolitan Division.

“I think both teams knew the importance of this game, as far as we’re battling for a playoff spot,” coach Alain Vigneault said, knowing the Flyers still have two games in hand. “We knew, for us, this was a real important game before we leave for this four-game road trip. And our guys were ready.”

The fact of the matter is, after the game, the Rangers (41-29-4) had almost nothing to say about the Flyers (38-27-7), because with eight games left, it hardly matters who they play. Philadelphia came in just one point back of Rangers for that second-place spot, and maybe if any Flyers beyond Wayne Simmonds had shown some punch, the animosity at least would have been visible.

Instead, in the waning seconds of the game, it was Simmonds alone hacking at the hands of Ryan McDonagh, a futile and all-too-late attempt to get under the skin of the man who is becoming the Rangers’ leader in all facets outside of the crease.

“He’s battling,” McDonagh said of the altercation, which resulted in both Simmonds and McDonagh getting offsetting minors with four seconds remaining. “It’s part of the game, it happens.”

A straight face, and not a lot to say. No, Bobby Clarke and Brad Park these two men are not.

Yet, a player who over the past week has ingrained himself as deep into the Rangers record books as some of the best is the man in the crease, Henrik Lundqvist, who was less than two minutes away from recording his 51st career shutout until Jakub Voracek so rudely disrupted the party, a wicked one-timer with 1:53 left that made it 3-1.

“It was a great challenge for us, to play a team that has lately been one of the better teams in the league — they’re tricky,” said Lundqvist, who made 30 saves, none more spectacular than a pair of stops, both point-blank, he made on Michael Raffl and Adam Hall in the second period. “We have so many guys playing well right now. We are playing with a lot of confidence and making great decisions with and without the puck.”

The Rangers got contributions from all over, yet again, drawing first blood when fourth-liner Derek Dorsett got his fourth goal of the season 8:41 into the first. They doubled their lead early in the second when McDonagh made an all-world play and ripped a wrist shot past Steve Mason for a 2-0 lead.

“Everything he touches turns to gold right now,” Marc Staal said of McDonagh.

Once Dominic Moore tipped in a point shot from Kevin Klein, 7:39 into the third, the Blueshirts had a 3-0 lead and the confidence was flowing from the top of the lineup to the bottom.

“We just have to keep going here,” Lundqvist said. “It’s going to pay off to not make it too complicated for ourselves or think about the standings.”